Beaded welting



March 10, 1942. w. c. VIZARD BEADED WELTING Filed May 27, 1941 3Sheets-Sheet l Wiiiiaazz a Vizar 22y wa 7 W March 10, 1942. w, c, VIZARDBEADED WEL'IING Filed May 2'7, 1941 :s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1942. wc, WZARD I 2,275,574

BEADED WELT ING Fild May 27, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 10,1942 BEADED WELTING William C. Vizard, Brockton, Mass, assignor toBarbour Welting Company, Brockton, Mass, at copartnership composed ofPerley E. Barbour, Walter, G. Barbour, and Richard H. BarbourApplication May 27, 1941, Serial No. 395,403

13 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe welting and its process of manufacture,and pertains more particularly to beaded welting of the type having araised flange or head located between the fiat welt extension and theshoe upper when the welting is built into the shoe. The general purposeof the invention is to provide at minimum cost a neat and dressy weltformed of a single piece of stock and having an integral upstanding beadand contiguous sewing edge so fashioned as to provide an innerlongitudinal shoulder which fills the welt crease and ensures that thewelting is snugly secured to the upper and innersole without excessiveheating or distortion of the welt during its application to the shoe.

The principal advantage of the improved process of manufacture residesin the substantial saving of material as contrasted with the stockheretofore required in making'beaded welting of comparable width,quality and service. For example, a popular brand of welting made inaccordance with Arnold and Vizard Patent No. 1,828,728 and sold insubstantial quantities under the name stormwelt, requires a fillet 9 inwidth and in thickness; whereas a preferred form of welting hereindisclosed is made from a fillet 1%" by /8". As welting is made instrands of unlimited length, any slight reduction in the strand widthnecessary to produce one-half inch welting represents a very substantialsaving to the manufacturer, especially when thestock is a good gradegrain leather as herein recommended.

A welt made by the methods hereinafter described not only is economicalto manufacture,

easy to apply and stylish in appearance after application, but alsoaffords a closer and firmer support for the upper, hugging the weltcrease and holding that inseam line firmly and evenly, so thatseparation of the bead from the upper leather is prevented. The closefitting characteristics of the improved welt result from the obliqueslitting of the inner edge of the welt strip and the spreading of thedivided flanges to form a relatively wide flesh surface presenting asloping shoulder which lays closely into the welt crease when the weltis applied to the lasted upper of the shoe.

Other features and advantages of the improved welting and its method ofmanufacture will be apparent from the ensuing description of therecommended embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and will be pointed out in the appended claims. In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a leather fillet formed with a. narrowgroove in its grain surface;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the cuttings made in the flesh portionsof the fillet preliminary to the bending and molding of the bead andsewing edge;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a finished welt strip made from thefillet of Figs. 1 and 2;

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views through the toe portion ofa lasted upper and finished shoe, respectively, showing the applicationthereto of the welt of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating an optional mode ofcutting a fillet slightly wider than that of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form of filletused in producing a reverse welt strip;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a reverse welt made from the fillet ofFig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the application of thereverse welt to a lasted upper;

Figs. 10 and 11 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3, respectively,illustrating a modified type of Goodyear beaded welting;

Figs. 12 and 13 are similar views, showing a further modification; and

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view of a finished shoe equipped withthe welt of Fig. 11.

In the particular embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration inFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive, half-inch beaded welting having a quarter-inchwelt extension and a quarter inch bead is produced from a fillet wideand g thick. The, grain face of the fillet 2| is scored with a central,longitudinal V-shaped groove 22, approximately e" wide at the surfaceand deep (Fig. l), and the following cuts are made in the flesh portionof the fillet: a lateral cut 23 extending inward from the outer edge ofthe fillet, parallel to the faces thereof and 'f%" from the bottomsurface; a vertical cut 24 spaced from said outer edge of the fillet andextending from the bottom of the fillet to the cut 23 remote from itsapex, thereby freeing a rectangular strip 25; and an oblique cut 26along the inner edge of the fillet, starting on a line from the bottomof the fillet and extending inwardly and downwardly from said inner edgeto an apex located /8 therefrom and 2" from said bottom (Fig. 2). Thecut-away strip 25 is suitable for use as stitchdown welting, so thatthere is no wastage of the leather stock.

The cuts 23, 24 and 26 thus form the welt extension 21 having a grainsurface; a solid triangular flange or bead portion 28 having an outergrain surface 29 and an inner flesh surface 30 (Fig. 3); a triangularflange or flesh flap 3|; a flat sided flesh lip 32; and a thin hinge 33between the apex of slit 26 and the bottom of the fillet. After removalof the strip 25, the bead 28 is bentupwardly of the Welt extension onthe. groove 22; the fiap 3| is bent downwardly and outwardly of thefillet on the hinge 33, and against the bottom of the fillet to which itis cemented along the line 34 (Fig. 3); the lip 32 is folded downwardlyand inwardly of the fillet against the side of the flap 3!whichpreviousl-y constituted its inner edge; andthe .flapandllip arecemented together to form-attwo-partsewing having-a longitudinalshoulder 35, and a longitudinal crease or groove 36 formed-inthe bottomof the welt by bending the lip inwardly from the apex- 0f cut-'23.

When'embodied ina-Goodyear welt-shoe as shown-in Figs.-4 and 5,the'sloping flesh surface 3110f the bead and the-protrudingfleshshoulder of the sewingedge'snugly engage the upper 31 and fit-into thewelt-crease, so that the weltingmay be tightlysecured tothe lip 38 ofinnersole 39 by the usual inseam stitch 40 which passes along the grooveor' crease 36 and through the base 'of the "sewing edge. The improvedwelt is thus inseamed with a minimum of -welt beating or distortion bysewing, and "maybe" outseamed to the outsole-4| bythe customarystitch 42without any appreciable 'reduction in the thickness of-the weltextensionil'due to excessive beating. ThB'WEltBXCBHSiOIl in thecompleted shoe, although only-5% thick inFig. 3,

accordingly has a=finalthickness equivalent to that'of the-regularGoodyearwelt after it is beaten.

The beaded welting 'just described "will thus serve --all the purposesof'more expensive welting of this type and possesses thead'ditional advantage of a more perfect iseamifiller beneath the feather-4'2 of theinnersole; and it will be noted that the visible surfaces "of the weltextension and bead present-the desiredappearance of grain leather,while'the' inner fieshsurface'of'the bead lends itself morereadily toclose-fitting engagement with'the upper. It "will also -be appreciatedthat the wi'de'sloping' bead surface 29 may be attractively ornamentedordecorated to en- "hance the style and appearance of the. finished "shoe.

In the optional .method of manufacture shown. in Fig. 6, a: fillet 5 2,"wide and of the. same 'thicknessas that offFigs "1 and 2, has ,averticalcut extending downwardlyifrom the grainsurface, 5%" .from' the outeredge of'the fillet, and a lateral cut 45 extending inwardly of thefillet fromthe apex of cut' l liand corresponding to cut 23of Fig. 2,thereby'freeing anL-fshape'd strip fldwhich is suitable for use as acaulk w'elt. The remaining bead welt" strip 41" is cut, shaped andfinished-inthe same'manner as previously explained.

The reverse --welt illustrated in .Figs. "7 i to 9,

as a modified form of this invention, is" made from a fillet 5| whichmay be 5" wide and -2 thick; and the fillet has a V-shaped groove 52 andan oblique inner edge out 56, corresponding to the cuts 22 and 26respectively of Fig. 2, and providing a triangular bead portion 53 andflesh flap 54 corresponding to the bead 28 and flap 3i of the previousembodiment. Similarly, the flap 54 is bent downwardly onits narrow hingeuntil its bottom surface abuts the bottom surface of the fillet properto which it is cemented, and that operation produces the crease-fillingshoulder-55 as shown in Fig. 8.

Inthis case, the contiguous fiesh surfaces of the bead .-5.3.,and foldedflap 54 are placed against the lasted upper and secured by the inseamstitch :51 before the bead is bent relative to the weltextension 58, asindicated by the full lines of 9; anditwill be noted that the inseam:followsthe groove 52 in the grain surface of the welt and passesthrough the base of the triangular bead. When'thus inseamed, the weltextension-:53 is bent upwardly on thegroove 52 "tothe dotted lineposition of Fig. 9, and the outsole may be appliedand outseamed theretoas in'Fig. '5. This operation closes the groove "5'2-and conceals thestitching 51, so that a shoe equipped with this reverse -weltalsopresents a smooth grain surfaceyon the exposed faces of the beadand-welt extension.

, The modifications illustrated in Figs. 10 to '14 are essentiallysimilar in purposetothe welting of Figs. 1 to 5 and 'possesssubstantially the sameadvantageswith a still further saving in materialcos-ts, inasmuch-as thisrmodifiedbeaded welting may :be made-fromafillet -in--width 'and /3" in thickness. -Such welting stock is thus nolarger'than'that used "for "plain Goodyear welting, yet itis'formed'with a bead and a seam-filling, shouldered 'sewing "edge, and"has an effective width of"a:regular-half inch welt.

The filletBl ofyFigs. 10 and 11 has a V-shaped groove 62 in its .grainsurface, spaced inwardly from its outer edge, and corresponding to thegro0ve'l22 of'Fig. 2; an angular base out including an oblique'leg 63extending upwardly .and inwardly of .thefillet from its bottom surface,and a lateral .leg .fiflextending inwardly from the apex oftheleg153,paral1el"to and approximately 'forty-thousandths of .an inch'fromsaid'bottom surface. "The angular cut enters the .base of the fillet '1"from its --o.uter edge, and'forms a flesh lip 65 approximately%"longand corresponding .in purpose to the jlip"32 of "Fi .2.

'Thelinnere'dge of ffilletfil has anoblique out 66,1'like cut 1,26. ofproviding a triangular Tfie'sh .Zflap '6'! and ,a "triangular bead t8and crease-filling .shouider 6.9, -corresponding to the flap 3 I, beadT28 and, 'shoulderf35 of said ffigure.

The bead '68is turned upwardly,. ,the flaps? and lip arefoldeddownwardly. and inwardly, respectively, and cemented together, andthe finished welt (Fig.11) 'is app1iedi-tothejshoe (Fig. .14) all inthemannerexplainedinconnection withlFigs. 1 to 5. Thismodifiedweltingprm videsa normal width weltextension land a bead which,although appreciablysmallerthan that in Fig. 3, islargeenough. tofillthe.welt crease. and hold auniform seamline, and toprovide adressed.and'finishedappearance ,in the completed shoe;'jthe sewing edgevis .of adequate thickness for proper' inseam stitching and pulls uptightly under ithe feather .H ,of the insole "l2; and the reducedthickness under; the we'ltextension will be made uniform by the lightbeating to which the welting is subjected by the shoe manufacturer. Allthese advantages are obtained in a beaded welting which may be sold tothe shoe manufacturer at approximately the cost of ordinary Goodyearwelting, and the welt shown in Figs. 11 and 14 is therefore preferredfor general use.

In the additional modification illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, thefillet H is similar in size to that of Fig. 10, and has a correspondingV-shaped groove 12 in its grain surface and oblique cut 13 in its inneredge, forming the bead portion 14 and the flesh flap 15 which are spreadapart to present a wide flesh surface for application to the shoe upper.The base of fillet H is not provided with a foldable flesh lip, aspreviously described, but a triangular slot 16 is formed in its bottomsurface to provide a stitch-receiving groove and to permit the bead tobe bent upwardly on the top groove 12 (Fig. 14). It will be understoodthat the bending of the bead relative to the welt extension 11 moves thesewing edge or flap 15 inwardly, thereby increasing the effective widthof the welt strip, and that this flap is bent downwardly beneaththefeather of the innersole to fill the welt crease, when the welt isapplied to the lasted upper and secured by the inseam stitch.

In each of the several illustrated embodiments of this invention, afillet of grain leather is grooved on its grain surface and also on itsflesh surface, and an oblique slit is out in its inner edge, to producea solid, triangular shaped bead which may be easily bent upwardly withrespect to the welt extension, and a triangular flesh flap IRconstituting a sewing edge which may be folded downwardly and, aspreferred, cemented to the bottom of the fillet, thus spreading theflanges which are divided by said oblique cut-and presenting a wideconvex surface for application to the shoe upper.

The slit or groove in the bottom of the fillet pemits the bead to bebent upwardly more easily, and the upward folding of the bead stretchesthe flesh part of the leather at the base of the sewing flange andrenders it more pliable, thus facilitating the insertion of the inseamstitches which enter at the bottom crease or groove and pass through thebase of the sewing edge.

The welt thus formed presents a grain surface on the welt extension andon the outer, exposed side of the bead, and a flesh surface on theinside of the bead and the sewing flap; and said flesh surface engagesthe upper of the shoe and the bottom flange or sewing edge fits snuglyinto the welt crease, so that the attached welt firmly holds the inseamline and prevents spreading or grinning of the head.

The respective optional forms of the improved welt possess specialadvantages according to the type, grade and selling price of the shoesin which they are to be incorporated and the style effect which isdesired. For example, the flesh shoulders of the two-part sewing edgeillustrated in Figs. 3 and 11 contribute particularly to a tight fit ofthe welt in the shoe; the form of Fig. 8 presents the fit and appearanceof a Goodyear welt in a reverse welt application; and the welts of Figs.11 and 13 provide firmness and style with great economy, and form a beadhaving a flat and nearly upright inner face which avoids the necessityof making an extra size up on sole patterns, as in the case of previousbeaded welting, which tends to round out during application.

Although the improved welting is preferably made of a good grade ofgrain leather, it will be understood that many of the advantages of thewelts herein described will be attained by the use of ungrained leatheror other welting material; and it will also be understood that thisinvention is not intended to be limited to the specific materials,structures or processes above set forth, except as stated in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. Beaded leather welting comprising a flat welt extension having agrain surface, an integral, solid bead projecting above the weltextension along the inner side of the welt, said bead having an innerflesh face, and an integral sewing flange disposed below the bead alongsaid welt side, said flange having an inner face constituting acontinuation of the inner face of the bead and the flange face having aprotruding longitudinal shoulder adapted to fill the welt crease of ashoe to which the welting is applied.

2. Beaded leather welting formed from a flat fillet and comprising aflat welt extension having a grain surface, a solid triangular beadprojecting above the welt extension along the inner side of the welt,said bead having a flat Outer grain face and a flat inner flesh face,and a sewing flange of flesh stock disposed below the bead along saidwelt side and having an inner face constituting a continuation of theinner face of the bead.

3. Beaded leather welting formed from a flat fillet and comprising aflat welt extension having a grain surface, a solid triangular beadprojecting above the welt extension along the inner side of the welt,said bead having a flat outer grain face and a flat inner flesh face,and a sewing flange of flesh stock disposed below the bead along theinner side of the Welt and having an inner face constituting acontinuation of the inner face of the bead, said flange including asubstantially triangular flap folded downwardly and outwardly of theinner edge of said fillet and a lip folded downwardly and inwardly fromthe bottom of the fillet and secured to said flap.

4. Beaded leather welting formed from a flat fillet and comprising a,flat welt extension, a bead projecting above the welt extension alongthe inner side of the welt, and a two-part sewing flange composed of asubstantially triangular flap folded downwardly from the inner edge ofthe fillet and a flat sided lip folded inwardly from the bottom of thefillet and cemented to the bottom of the folded flap.

5. A method of making beaded welting which consists in cutting anoblique slit extending forwardly and downwardly from the inner edge ofthe fillet to provide substantially triangular upper and lower flanges,and spreading said flanges so that the upper flange projects above thebody of the welt to form a bead and the lower flange is foldeddownwardly to form a sewing edge.

6. A method of making beaded leather welting which consists in forming alongitudinal groove in the upper surface of the fillet along the innermargin of a welt extension thereof, cutting an oblique slit extendingforwarding and downwardly from the inner edge of the fillet to providesubstantially triangular upper and lower flanges, spreading said flangesso that the upper flange projects above the welt extension to form abead and the lower flange is folded downwardly and forwardly of thefillet and against the bottom thereof to form a sewing edge, andcementing said lower flange to said fillet bottom.

7. A method of making beaded leather Weltens-t s t- QDS Q 11ZhlJ LT.GlJ-inten n f a dl ten yri om .the;.; n ed ;o *..the :fi l tt e an ular b ar rt o an -ia t a11y-triane 1ar fie hrfle hi i e to the .baseof-thfillet adjacent the zapexot said slit, making a longitudinal cut in thebottorn. of he e t -p@ m :b nd of he: ady qr and toiiorm a ,crease foril seam stitching and endin h ea rt o a o gv Said ro ve elative to thewelt extension to provide an upstanding triangular bead having, an outergrain face and an inner fiesh face.

Amethod of Ina-king beaded: leather welting which consists ;in. forminga longitudinal groove inv the grain surface. ,of-sa fillet along theinner margin of a .welt lextensionthereof,cutting an oblique slitextending forwardlyand downwardly from the inner edge of the fillettoprovide a substantially, triangular bead portionand a substantiallytriangular fiesh fiap hinged to the base of ,the fillet adjacent the,apex of said slit, making .;a, longitudinal cut in thebottom of thefillet to permit bending of the bead portion and to form a crease forinseamstitching, folding the flap downwardly andoutwardly 'on saidhingeand .against the bottonr of the. fillet and, cementing it thereto,and bending the bead portion upwardly along said groove relative to the,weltexten- ,sion, thereby to providean upstanding triangular beadhavingan outer grain face and an inner flesh iace, ,anda dependingsewing .flange: of gflesh stock.

j9. A method of n akingbeaded leather weltin Which consists in forming alongitudinal groove in the grain surface of a nuet along the innermargin of a welt extension thereof, cutting an oblique slit extendingforwardly and downwardly from the inner edgeof the fillet to .provide.asubstantially triangular bead portion and a substantially triangularflesh flap hinged to the base of the fillet adjacent the apex of saidslit, cutting-the bottom of the fillet upwardly, and inwardlythereofo'to iorm a longitudinal lip and a stitching creaseatythe apex ofsaid out, bendingthe bead portion upwardly along said groove relativeto, the welt extension to providean upwhen L-lateraLslit extendinginwardlyof the fillet par- ,allel to said bottom.

,il. A;.;method according to claim 9 in which ,the cutting ofzthesbottomof the fillet involves .a lateral cut extending inwardly from the outeredgebfthe fillet parallel to the bottom, and a vertical cut extendingupwardly from ,thebottom andjoining the lateral out, remote from itsapex, thereby,freeingarectangular strip. from the fillet.

i2. A-method according to claim, 9 in which the cutting of the bottom ofthe fillet involves .avertical cut extending downwardly from the topofthe filletnear the outeraedge thereof, a lat- .eralcut extendinginwardly-of the fillet 'from theapex of, said vertical cut andparallelto said bottom, and a vertical cut extending upwardly fromisaidbottom and joining the lateral cut remote from its apex, thereby freeingan L-shaped .strip fromthe outermargin of the fillet.

13, Ina Goodyear welt shoehaving an innersole. formed with a featheredgeand a sewing lip, a iwpe whavin a ma e ng s feather andflli fin a o t .se 2 beaded W l strip W a I substantially'fiat welt extension engagingsaid outer sole, a solid, substantially trianguiarbeadprojecting abovethe welt extension along theinner side of, the, strip and having asubstan- ,tial ly flat inner, surface engaging the upper, and a sewingflange disposed below said bead along said strip side and having alongitudinal shoulder snugly fitting the welt crease of the shoe, below-the-featherof the inner-sole, the welt strip being inseamed to theinnersole by stitching passing -thro h;the sewing lip thereof and'thebase of said sewingfiange to holdsaidfiange in the welt crease.

WILLIAM C. VI ZARD.

